Knife having replaceable edge and holding base therefor

Abstract

A cutting system utilizes a cutting blade-holding base that removably holds a number of long razor cutting blades in a corresponding number of longitudinal slots. A replaceable blade knife of the cutting system has a cutting blade-gripping member with a bifurcated lower region extending throughout its length and dimensioned for resiliently gripping one of the long razor blades. The blades are placed within the blade-gripping member of the cutting knife by placing the heel end portion of the bifurcated region over the razor blade at this point and then angling downward so that the remainder of the bifurcated region resiliently grips the cutting blade throughout its entire length. The cutting blade-holding base also serves to store the knife with its cutting blade by insertion of the blade into an empty slot of the base. Removal of the cutting blade from the knife is accomplished by placing the blade in an empty slot of the blade-holding base and sliding the knife backwards so as to engage the cutting blade with a blade-stop portion of the base; whereby the cutting blade remains within the slot of the base while the knife slideably disengages from the cutting blade.

I claim: 
     
       1. A cutting system comprising: A. a base incorporating: 1. a plurality of elongated slot forming members, each slot terminating at a first end prior to termination of the base; and   2. a plurality of blade stops positioned at the termination of each elongated slot so as to prevent a blade stored in the corresponding slot from longitudinal movement in the slot beyond the blade stop;     B. a plurality of long razor blades each having a lower razor edge dimensioned for storage in one of the slots of the base and having a substantially straight upper edge protruding above the upper surface of the slot forming member when stored in said member; and   C. a knife having: 1. a handle; and   2. a razor blade-gripping member connected to the handle, having a lower elongated bifurcated region forming an elongated groove having a depth less than the height of the protruding portion of a blade stored in a slot forming member, and dimensioned for gripping engagement with said razor blades; whereby the knife receives a long razor blade stored in one of the elongated slots of the base and deposits dull razor blades in one of the empty slots by positioning the dull razor blade gripped in the knife in an empty slot and moving the knife in a direction that causes the dull razor blade to abut the blade-stop corresponding to the slot in which the blade is placed.     
     
     
       2. A cutting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the slot-forming members are parallel to each other. 
     
     
       3. A cutting system as defined in claim 2, wherein the base further incorporates: 3. a lower planar surface of adhesive material for adhering the base to a flat surface.   
     
     
       4. A cutting system as defined in claim 2, wherein the base further incorporates: 3. a shield having a plurality of elongated U-shaped grooves, each groove in alignment with one of the slots of the base and wherein the shield is mounted to the slot-forming members at their ends of greatest distance from the blade-stops whereby the blade-gripping member of the knife is resiliently gripped by one of the elongated U-shaped grooves of the shield when the knife is placed in one of the empty slots of the base.   
     
     
       5. A cutting system as defined in claim 2, wherein the base further incorporates: 3. mounting apertures for securing the base to an external structure.   
     
     
       6. A cutting system as defined in claim 2, wherein the blade stops are formed from a rectangular metal insert laterally positioned across the termination of the first ends of said slots. 
     
     
       7. A cutting system as defined in claim 2, wherein the lower elongated bifurcated region of the blade-gripping member of the knife has a rounded end nearest the handle for facilitating initial gripping of a razor blade stored in the base. 
     
     
       8. A cutting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the base further incorporates: 3. a plurality of blade indicator tabs each in alignment with the termination of one of the slots in the base and protruding above the upper surface of the corresponding slot forming member so as to be broken away from the blade-holding base when the knife is removed during removal of a dull razor blade from the knife in a formerly empty slot of the base.   
     
     
       9. A cutting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the elongated slot-forming members are arranged in a multi-sided configuration. 
     
     
       10. A cutting system as defined in claim 9, wherein the base further comprises an end cap resiliently positioned over the other terminating end of the slots so as to cover one end of the razor blades stored within the elongated slots. 
     
     
       11. A cutting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the blade-gripping member of the knife is fabricated from a graphite fiber composite material. 
     
     
       12. A cutting system as defined in claim 11, wherein the handle of the knife is fabricated from plastic. 
     
     
       13. A cutting system comprising: A. a base incorporating: 1. a plurality of elongated slot-forming members, each slot terminating at one end prior to termination of the base;   2. blade-stops at the location of termination of each elongated slot so as to prevent a blade stored in the corresponding slot from longitudinal movement in the slot beyond the blade stop; and   3. blade indicator tabs, each in alignment with the termination of one of the elongated slots in the base and extending outwardly above the upper surface of the corresponding elongated slot-forming member;     B. a plurality of long razor blades each having a lower razor edge dimensioned for storage in one of the slots of the base and having a substantially straight upper edge extending outwardly above the upper surface of the elongated slot-forming member when placed in the respective slot of said member; and   C. a knife having:   
     
     
       1. a handle; and 2. a blade-gripping member connected to the handle, having means for removably gripping the portion of a razor blade extending outwardly from the slot-forming member; whereby movement of the knife in a direction parallel to the slot-forming member contacts and breaks the blade indicator tab while the blade abuts the corresponding blade-stop, thereby removing the razor blade from the knife while indicating that the razor blade in the slot has been removed from the knife.     
     
     
       14. A cutting system as defined in claim 13, wherein the slot forming members are parallel to each other. 
     
     
       15. A cutting system as defined in claim 14, wherein the blade stops are formed from a rectangular insert laterally positioned across the termination of the first ends of said slots. 
     
     
       16. A cutting system as defined in claim 13, wherein the means for removably gripping the extending portion of a razor blade includes a lower elongated bifurcated region forming an elongated groove having a depth less than the height of the extending portion of the razor blade stored in a slot forming member of the base and having a rounded end nearest the handle for facilitating initial gripping of said razor blade stored in the base. 
     
     
       17. A cutting system as defined in claim 13, wherein the elongated slot-forming members are arranged in a multi-sided configuration. 
     
     
       18. A cutting system as defined in claim 17, wherein the base further comprises: 4. an end cap resiliently positioned over the other terminating end of the slots of the slot-forming members so as to cover one end of the razor blades stored within said slots.   
     
     
       19. A cutting system as defined in claim 13, wherein the blade-gripping member of the knife is fabricated from a graphite fiber composite material. 
     
     
       20. A cutting system comprising: A. a base incorporating: 1. at least two elongated slot forming members, each slot terminating at a first end prior to termination of the base; and   2. blade stops positioned at the termination of each elongated slot so as to prevent a blade stored in the corresponding slot from longitudinal movement in the slot beyond the blade stop;     B. a plurality of long naked razor blades each having a lower razor edge dimensioned for storage in one of the slots of the base and having an upper edge protruding above the upper surface of the slot forming member when stored in said member; and   C. a knife having: 1. a handle; and   2. a razor blade gripping member connected to the handle, having a lower elongated resiliently bifurcated region forming an elongated groove and dimensioned for gripping engagement with said long razor blades; whereby the knife receives a long razor blade stored in one of the longitudinal slots of the base and deposits a dull razor blade in one of the empty longitudinal slots by placing the dull blade in an empty longitudinal slot and moving the knife in a direction that causes the dull razor blade to abut the blade-stop corresponding to the slot in which the blade is placed.       
     
     
       21. A cutting system as defined in claim 20 wherein the slot forming members are parallel to each other and combine with each other to form a planar upper surface. 
     
     
       22. A cutting system as defined in claim 21, wherein the blade stops are formed from a rectangular metal insert laterally positioned across the termination of the first ends of said slots in a groove in the base substantially perpendicular to the elongated slot forming members. 
     
     
       23. A cutting system as defined in claim 20, wherein the lower elongated bifurcated region of the blade-gripping member of the knife has a rounded end near the handle for facilitating initial gripping of a razor blade stored in the base. 
     
     
       24. A cutting system for use with razor blades comprising: A. a base incorporating: 1. at least two elongated slot forming members, each slot terminating at a first end prior to termination of the base;   2. blade stops positioned at the termination of each elongated slot so as to prevent a blade stored in the corresponding slot from longitudinal movement in the slot beyond the blade stop; and     
     
     
       3. blade indicator tabs each in alignment with the termination of one of the slots in the base and protruding above the upper surface of the corresponding slot forming member, so as to be broken away from the blade-holding base when the knife is moved during removal of a razor blade from the knife; and B. a knife having: 1. a handle; and   2. a razor blade gripping member connected to the handle, having a lower elongated bifurcated region forming an elongated groove having a depth less than the height of the protruding portion of the blades when stored in the longitudinal slots of the base, and dimensioned for gripping engagement with said long razor blades; whereby the knife receives a long razor blade stored in one of the longitudinal slots of the base and deposits a dull razor blade in one of the empty longitudinal slots by placing the dull blade in an empty longitudinal slot and moving the knife in a direction that causes the dull razor blade to abut the blade stop corresponding to the slot in which the blade is placed.       
     
     
       25. A cutting system for use with razor blades comprising: A. a base incorporating: 1. at least two elongated slot forming members arranged in a multi-sided configuration, each slot terminating at a first end prior to termination of the base; and   2. blade stops positioned at the termination of each elongated slot so as to prevent a blade stored in the corresponding slot from longitudinal movement in the slot beyond the blade stop; and     B. a knife having: 1. a handle; and   2 a razor blade gripping member connected to the handle, having a lower elongated bifurcated region forming an elongated groove having a depth less than the height of the protruding portion of the blades when stored in the longitudinal slots of the base, and dimensioned for gripping engagement with said long razor blades; whereby the knife receives a long razor blade stored in one of the longitudinal slots of the base and deposits a dull razor blade in one of the empty longitudinal slots by placing the dull blade in an empty longitudinal slot and moving the knife in a direction that causes the dull razor blade to abut the blade stop corresponding to the slot in which the blade is placed.       
     
     
       26. A cutting system as defined in claim 20, whrein the blade-gripping member of the knife is fabricated from a graphite fiber composite material.